Bernard Cribbins
From The TV IV
| Bernard Cribbins | |
| |
| Born | December 29, 1928 in Oldham, Lancashire, England |
| Notable Roles | The Wombles: Narrator
Coronation Street: Wally Bannister |
| Notable Episodes | Fawlty Towers: 1x04 - Hotel Inspectors |
| Awards | None for TV |
Bernard Cribbins is a British comedian and actor best known for his stage work, novelty records and voice work on such animated series as The Wombles.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Bernard Cribbins was born on December 29, 1928 in Oldham, Lancashire, England. He was interested in acting early on, and at the age of 14, he became a student at the Oldham Repertory Theatre. He left for a brief stint in the Parachute Regiment of the British Army, but he returned immediately upon his release.
By his mid-20s, he was a major star in English theater. Nearly a decade later, he found success in British films such as The World of Suzie Wong and Carry On Jack. He also cut several hit novelty records, including a single called "Right Said Fred," about workmen moving a piano, which charted in the UK and decades later inspired the band of the same name. By the end of the 1960s and into the '70s, he was finding regular work in films, stage and TV and on animated series and commercials.
He continues to work and be active in film and TV. He is now best known for his work as narrator and character voices in multiple children's series. He lives with his longtime wife Gillian.
[edit] Roles
[edit] Starring Roles
| Series | Role | Year(s) | Season(s) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cribbins | Host | 1969-1970 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| The Val Doonican Show | Ensemble member | 1970-1975 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||
| The Wombles | Narrator | 1973-1998 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||
| Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings | Narrator | 1976 | 1 | |||||||
| Arrivano i mostri | 1977 | 1 | ||||||||
| The Shillingbury Tales | Cuffy | 1981 | 1 | |||||||
| Cuffy | Cuffy | 1983 | 1 | |||||||
| Moschops | Narrator | 1983 | 1 | |||||||
| Langley Bottom | Seth Raven | 1986 | 1 | |||||||
| High and Dry | Ron Archer | 1987 | 1 | |||||||
| Noel's House Party | Ensemble member | 1991-1999 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| I Love 1970's | Himself | 2000 | 1 | |||||||
| Coronation Street | Wally Bannister | 2003 | 2003 | |||||||
[edit] Guest Starring Roles
[edit] Specials and Made-for-TV Movies
| Title | Role | Airdate | Series/Banner |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Night of the Big Heat | Cpl. Pearce | June 14, 1960 | |
| Visiting Day | Cakebread | February 2, 1962 | Comedy Playhouse |
| Impasse | Mr. Spooner | March 15, 1963 | Comedy Playhouse |
| Here I Come Whoever I Am | Ambrose Twombly | June 11, 1965 | Comedy Playhouse |
| Judgement Day for Elijah Jones | Arnold | June 7, 1966 | Comedy Playhouse |
| It's Your Move | Neighbour | October 18, 1982 | |
| What's a Carry On? | Himself | December 29, 1998 | |
| I Love a 1970's Christmas | Himself | December 24, 2000 | I Love |
| The 100 Greatest Kids TV Shows | Himself | August 27, 2001 | |
| The Wonderful World of Roald Dahl | Himself | July 24, 2005 | |
| The 100 Greatest Family Films | Himself | December 22, 2005 |
[edit] Talk, News and Game Show Appearances
| Series | Episode | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| This Is Your Life | Bernard Cribbins | February 25, 1981 |
| This Morning | June 3, 2003 |
[edit] Notable Film Roles
- The World of Suzie Wong (1960): Otis
- Two Way Stretch (1960): Lennie Price
- The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963): Nervous O'Toole
- Carry On Jack (1963): Midshipman Albert Poop-Decker
- She (1965): Job
- Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. (1966): Tom Campbell
- Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River (1967): Fred Davies
- Casino Royale (1967): Taxi Driver
- Frenzy (1972): Felix Forsythe
- Dangerous Davies - The Last Detective (1981): Dangerous Davies
[edit] Memorable Moments
- Fawlty Towers
- 1x04 - Hotel Inspectors: Cribbins as Mr. Hutchinson has annoyed the staff at Fawlty Towers - especially Basil Fawlty - with his pretentious mannerisms and high-maintenance demands. He has even started a fistfight with Basil in the lobby. Basil has been extra-nice to him when he believed him to be a hotel inspector, then rude again when he learned he was not. When Hutchinson is leaving, Basil and Manuel send him off with a cream pie in the face and crotch and a briefcase full of cream - right in front of the real inspectors!
[edit] Awards and Accolades
[edit] Other Awards
- BAFTA Film Awards
- Nominated: Best Supporting Actor (1970) - The Railway Children
[edit] Trivia
- Narrated the "Tufty" British Public Information Films in the 1970s.
